Buyers Guide

Buyers Guide

Dog breeding is a big responsibility.

A good breeder is caring and knowledgeable about their dogs breed. A good breeder will invest significant time and resources into their breeding program. A good breeder will put much research, thought and consideration into their breeding plans. A good breeder will reduce the chance of producing offspring with inherited disorders by conducting appropriate health screening on the dogs they breed. A good breeder will screen their breeding dogs temperament to offer the best possibility of emotionally sound offspring and finally a good breeder will put a great deal of effort into raising and socialising their puppies to prepare them for the modern world.

Time and resources.

A good breeder will have spent several years raising, working with and researching their chosen breed of dog before they considered breeding. A good breeder will be expertly knowledgeable about the common health and behaviour traits within their chosen breed and will have experience within a breed club or organisation. A good breeder will have both the financial resources and the time to ensure that all the husbandry needs of their dogs and their offspring are met above that of the average pet owner.

Avoiding inherited disorders.

A good breeder will ensure that both the dam (bitch) and the dog (stud) are screened and certified as unaffected by inherited disorders within their type of dog. They will also know as much as possible about the genetic disorders in the pedigree history of their dogs to avoid doubling up on any potential genetic concerns that may be present, but as yet, unidentifiable through the scientific health screening of parent dogs.

A responsible breeder will care about the puppies they produce as well as their prospective buyers. This will be demonstrated by having completed the health screening tests and having made informed choices when selecting breeding pairs. A good breeder will sell their puppies with a written guarantee against the inheritable disorders within their breed. They will also provide an overall guarantee of health and take life time responsibility for the puppies they produce. A good breeder will require the purchaser to sign a contract that outlines the obligations of themselves as the breeder, as well as the requirements of the new owner, such as training classes, spay or neutering and the general care of the dog. A good breeder will have a return to breeder policy in the event the new owner can no longer keep their dog.

Avoiding emotional instability.

A good breeder will take the time and effort required to raise and train emotionally stable dogs with sound temperament. A good breeder will screen potential breeding dogs for sound temperament and have this recorded before breeding. They will select breeding pairs that compliment a sound temperament and reduce the possibility of emotionally unstable offspring. A good breeder will make tremendous effort to ensure that puppies are raised and socialised to best enable them to adjust into a new family and be equipped with the necessary skills to adapt in modern life.

Veterinary care.

A responsible breeder will work closely with their veterinarian to ensure good general health, reproductive health and genetic stability of their breeding dogs. Veterinarians use many different techniques to ensure that individual dogs are healthy and free from genetic defects that may be passed on to their offspring. For example, blood and saliva samples are used to test for the presence of inheritable disorders and radiographs are taken to assess the structure and integrity of the hip, elbow, knee and shoulder joints. Veterinary specialists are also used to examine the eyes and the heart of the dogs to ensure they are free from genetic disorders.

Every breed/type of dog has a potential inherited disorder/s. A responsible breeder will work with their veterinarian to minimise the chance that an affected dog will enter their breeding program. The ultimate end goal for a responsible breeder is to place healthy, genetically viable, behaviourally sound, emotionally stable puppies into appropriate homes with their new owners.

Recognising a good breeder.

Reputable breeders will have strong affiliations with their breed club and they will adhere to a strict Code of Ethics.

Reputable breeders will proudly show you their dogs and their facilities.

Reputable breeders will proudly show you their dogs health certificates and veterinary care records.

Reputable breeders will proudly show you the puppies pedigree/lineage.

Reputable breeders only breed one or a few breed/types of dog they are expert in.

Reputable breeders only sell puppies after 8 weeks of age and all their puppies are microchipped and have a detailed record of parasite treatments and vaccinations.

A good breeder will participate in confirmation shows, dog sports, canine events or dog training with their own dogs.

A good breeder will never sell a puppy or dog without having met the new owner first.

A good breeder will expect the new owner to stay in touch, provide updates and photographs of their dog as they develop and/or occasionally meet up or visit.

A good breeder will gladly talk about their breeding practices, including how often they breed, how young or old they breed their dogs and how many litters they have produced. A responsible breeder does not breed from dogs until they are physically and emotionally mature and they stop breeding when a dog reaches middle age (this will vary depending on the breed/type).

A good breeder will expect a potential new owner to have questions and be prepared to be questioned themselves.

A good breeder will want to make sure that a potential new owners lifestyle, knowledge of dogs and attitude are a good fit for their breed/type of dog.

A good breeder will ensure that puppies are raised in the home and are accustomed to household noises and people of all ages. They will invest much time and effort into socialising their puppies and will use science based protocols such as ‘Puppy Culture’ to ensure good socialisation. They will always have started activities such as toilet training, manding and leash walking.

A good breeder will have older dogs around, perhaps retired from their breeding program or never bred from. The dogs or descendants of dogs from bloodlines that taught the breeder their ropes.

A good breeder will have an open book policy to meet and discuss their dogs with other owners of their produced offspring.

A good breeder will provide a clear Puppy Information Pack (PIP) and will have a strict contract of sale.

A good breeder will require the new owner to return the puppy/dog if at any time and for any reason they can no longer keep the dog.

Avoid breeders who can not demonstrate their dogs are of good standard, either by way of conformation show entry, training accolades or canine sports/activity awards and temperament assessments.

Avoid breeders selling puppies with reduced fees in the absence of any of the above or charging extra for registration papers.

Let W.O.L.F. do the hard work for you!

W.O.L.F. guarantee that all our registered Lupine Dog puppies are produced from health and temperament tested parents. And that those puppies are responsibly bred by breeders who have agreed to abide by our Code of Ethics.